Due to a notably slower rate of new arrivals of South Sudanese in the first half of the year, the inter-agency partners in Sudan and Uganda agreed to revise the original estimates of 200,000 individuals. The overall regional projected South Sudanese refugee population reduced by 0.5 million and stands at 2.68 million refugees by end 2018.

On 5th August, an Agreement on Outstanding Issues of Governance and power-sharing was signed by all parties to the South Sudan conflict in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

PARTNERS CONCERNED OVER NUTRITION PROGRAMMING GAPS IN EAST DARFUR – Nutrition programming gaps have emerged for refugees in El Ferdous settlement following the ending of Al Manar Voluntary Organization’s (AMVO) outpatient therapeutic programme (OTP). Pipeline breaks for Ready-to Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) have also disrupted Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programmes (TSFPs) for refugees in Al Nimir camp and El Ferdous. State Ministry of Health provision of nutrition supplies for the OTP in El Ferdous ended on 31 July. New nutrition programming is urgently needed.

UNHCR TO PROVIDE PLASTIC SHEETING AND OTHER NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFIs) FOLLOWING FLASH FLOODING IN EL NUHUD, WEST KORDOFAN - Flash flooding caused injuries and destroyed homes, public buildings and shops in El Nuhud locality, where nearly 4,000 South Sudanese refugees live. UNHCR and the Commission for Refugees (COR) conducted an initial rapid needs assessment on 24 July. UNHCR will provide 3,000 NFI kits to locality residents, including plastic sheeting. The local primary school attended by both refugees and host communities was also affected, with damaged latrines and fencing. OCHA led an inter-agency needs assessment for areas affected by flash flooding on 30 July.

As of 17 July, the 2018 South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan is only 15% funded. Urgent funding is needed to meet the needs of South Sudanese refugees in CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.

CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY GAPS PERSIST IN EL RADOM, SOUTH DARFUR – Nearly 12,000 refugees living in the El Radom settlement have access to just 10 L of water per person per day, well below the SPHERE minimum standard of 15 L and UNHCR emergency standard of 20 L. Additional support for the water supply network is urgently needed.

UNHCR’s Regional Refugee Coordinator (RRC) and Special Advisor for the South Sudan situation carried out a brief to Ambassadors and Head of delegations in Nairobi on the needs of South Sudanese refugees on July 6, 2018 at the invitation of the Australian High Commissioner, H.E. Ms. Alison Chartres.

In Sudan, the Joda entry point closed last April due to a border dispute has been reopened at the end of June 2018, with over 200 refugees arriving through the entry point on 28 June and consecutively transported to Um Sangour camp.

In Uganda, a joint statement on the progress of the joint verification exercise was issued on 25 June 2018, by the Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR drawing preliminary conclusions and analysis from the results so far in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

Regional Refugee Coordinator and Special Advisor for the South Sudan Situation, Mr. Arnauld Akodjenou, carried out a resource mobilization mission in May and June aimed at fostering visibility to the dire situation of the South Sudanese crisis and bolster political and economic support to the crisis.